Method and system for using status indicators in wireless communication with medical devices

Abstract

The invention, in general, relates to communications systems for medical devices. In particular, the present invention is directed toward a communications routine for a medical infusion devices and a remote control unit that includes data elements within the transmissions that indicate the operating status of the infusion device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A drug infusion system, comprising:
 a drug infusion device having a first microprocessor for creating, sending and receiving packets of data; 
 a control unit comprising a second microprocessor for, at least, receiving the packets of data and determining the content of the packet of data; and 
 a display screen visible to a user of the control device, 
 wherein the first microprocessor is configured to create packets of data comprising a header byte having multiple bits wherein each bit of the header byte comprises a flag specific to only one of at least three states of the drug infusion device, and the second microprocessor is configured to generate a screen display to communicate the state of the drug infusion device to the user of the control device. 
 
     
     
       2. The drug infusion system of  claim 1 , wherein the header byte comprises at least three bits, each bit of the three bits being specific to only one state of the drug infusion device. 
     
     
       3. The drug infusion system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least three states of the drug infusion device comprises an error, an alarm, a warning, a reminder, or a busy state. 
     
     
       4. The drug infusion system of  claim 1 , wherein the packets of data including the header byte are transmitted from the drug infusion device to the control unit via wireless, radio-frequency transmission and the at least three bits comprise respectively bit  4 , bit  5  and bit  6  of the header byte.